The present invention relates to a device for increasing the strength of a hollow shaped part of a vehicle body, which has a closed cross-section.
German patent document DE 195 18 946 A1 discloses a vehicle structural component or a hollow shaped part with a closed cross-section, which is formed of at least two interconnected components. The vehicle structural component is a front support or a A-support of a vehicle body, composed of an outer plate, a support reinforcement and an inner support of light metal. For stiffening of the vehicle structural component, a reinforcing element produced of light metal extrusion is provided. It has an outer shape which is substantially identical to an inner shape of the closed cross-section of the vehicle structural component. The reinforcing element is arranged inside the region of the closed cross-section of the vehicle structural component.
For further increase of the strength of the vehicle structural component, several iron elements, such as for example a steel pipe or a steel plate or similar elements, are arranged along the hollow region of the reinforcing element.
The disadvantage of this solution is however that the vehicle structural component is composed of several individual parts which must be held before the manufacture and connected with one another in various manufacturing steps. This leads to a complicated and cost-intensive manufacturing process.
Moreover, another disadvantage of this solution is that the known vehicle structural component, due to the complicated multi-part construction, has a high total weight. This is disadvantageous for the automobiles since it is contrary to the tendencies in automobiles for reducing the fuel consumption by reducing the vehicle weight.
In addition, the known vehicle structural component has the disadvantage that the reinforcing element provided in the inner space of the vehicle structural element has low manufacturing tolerances, to ensure an easy adaptation of the reinforcing element in the interior space of the vehicle structural element.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device for increasing the strength of a hollow shaped part of a vehicle body, having a closed cross-section, which eliminates the disadvantages of the prior art.
More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device for increasing the strength of a hollow shaped part with a closed cross-section for a vehicle body, which makes possible the manufacture of a vehicle body with a high strength and a low total weight, and with low manufacturing costs.
In keeping with these objects and with others which will become apparent herein after, one feature of the present invention resides, briefly stated, in a device for increasing the strength of a hollow shaped part with a closed cross-section for a vehicle body, in which the reinforcing element extends through an aperture of the hollow shaped part in its inner space.
Since the inventive device has the reinforcing element which is arranged at least partially in an inner space of the hollow shaped part, and also is connected with the hollow shaped part and extends through a recess of the hollow shaped part in its inner space, a simple mounting and manufacture of a correspondingly designed vehicle structural component is provided in an advantageous manner. This leads to reduced manufacturing costs.
Moreover, the inventive device has the advantage that a hollow shaped part of a vehicle body which is provided with the inventive device has a high component strength with a low weight. The reason is that the hollow shaped part after its manufacture is provided with a simple design reinforcing element which is inserted through the aperture into the inner space and is fixedly connected with the hollow shaped part.
A special cost-favorable manufacture of a hollow shaped part of a vehicle body is provided when the hollow shaped part is formed as a one-piece component which is produced by an inner high pressure molding and provided with the reinforcing element. Thereby a hollow shaped part of a vehicle body, such as for example an A-support can be produced with cross-sections which correspond to special construction space requirements and strength requirements in one manufacturing step, and can be provided with a reinforcing element in particularly highly loaded regions in the above described simple manner.
The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the present invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.